California Wildfires Threaten More Than 12,000 Homes

LOS ANGELES – A wildfire that doubled overnight advanced Monday towards a major communications center and critical power lines, giving firefighters little time to rest or mourn two colleagues killed on Sunday.

Los Angeles residents were urged to conserve electricity since the raging fire could affect some power supplies later Monday. “These high-voltage power lines are critical to maintaining a steady supply of power to the city, especially as demand for energy rises throughout the day,” the L.A. Department of Water and Power said in a statement.

The fire had burned 134 square miles of brush and trees in the Angeles National Forest by early Monday, up from 71 square miles on Sunday evening, officials said.